Magnesium-containing synthetic resin and process of making same



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Apr. 13,- 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT..- OFFICE.

omer N arms, or

"To all it maqij'co'rwern':

-Be' 'itknown that I, CARLETON ELLIS, a

- citizen. of the United States, and a resident of" Montclair, in. the county of Essex and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain. new -anduseful Improvements in Mag:

. 'nesil1m-Oon taining 'Syn'thetic Resins" and the plasticin 1 The present invention is concerned parph'enate yielding magnesium-containing res- ,inshavin noyel properties. I I

I The present invention '1 Processes of Making Same, of which the followingis afspecification. 1 1

This inventionrelates to a synthetic resin of a metallo-organic character containing or derived from magnesiu erably magnesiumvpolyphenate and to the processof making same and also to compositions containing-such synthetic resins 'ineluding compositionsintended for use in ustries.

ticularly with.the reaction products of for maldehyde andmagnesium phenateor poly- Hereto ore varmfs: processes have been proposed iiivolvin reactionsbetween 'phe nols and formalde yde in the presence of .a small amount of catalytic-substance; usuf 1 ally an acid or an alkali. f Ammonia'is used extensively, as a catalyst. Large proportions of alkaline substances "havehowever been looked upon asjdetrimentah' yielding products of no technical value.

to such prior processes is based; upon employment of a, phenate contamlng a hlgn proportion ofan alkaline earth base namely I p magnesium'oxide, hydroxide and the like. The amount-of. magnesium in the form of .such base may be sufiicient to combine com-.-

pletely with the phenol, cresol or other phenolicbody employed to form normal phenatesorthe pro ortion of 'the'magnesium base may be modlfiedto yield polyphenates as for example the tetraphenate of magnesium.

h A synthetic resin made in accordance. with the present invention may be pre-i pared in various ways;' that is the methods of mixing, temperature, solvents,fetc., may be variously modified; ertai'n of'these procedures forming the hgs of copending ap-' plications. w 1

Thefollowing procedure. will serve in an.

illustrative manner to indicate a very simple way of securing a' resinous compound in 'acphenate orpref-a an emulsion being contradistin'ction uomrcmm, raw mnsnx, ass're n on. momma-roams. com:- rm; 4 conronanonor new mnsnx.

l' menns'run-conrsmme sxivrnn'r'rc'nnsm am) rnocnss or- MAKING Application ma June 11, 1923. serial No. 644,801.

. strength. The temperatureis maintained at 90-95 4). and the reaction mixture is stirred.

The'magnesium hydroxide, which is insoluble in water and in aqueous formaldehyde of the above strength, begins to dissolve and eventually a dark red'homogeneous solution 1s obtained. Theheatin and stirring is continued for about three hour s. This solution contains the -magnesium'phenate resin. On H evaporation on the hot plate of a small test sample of this solution it-will be found that a tou water-insoluble resin of great strengt is obtained. Prepared in this manner' the aqueous solution if reacted beyond a certain-point will not permit of any fur ther dilution with water without separation, formed on the addition of water,- "The yield of resin according to k18 *the foregoing is approximately 120 per cent bf the weight of the phenol taken. It will be observed that by employing magnesium hydroxide to the extent of about one-fourth of the normal molecular equivalent or chemical equivalent of phenol the proportions are such as to permitof the formation of magnesium tetraphenate, Thiscompound apof formaldehyde and yields the magnesiumcontaining synthetic resin of the present inv vention. Formaldehyde may act as a catalyst in bringing about the formation of compounds of magnesium and the phenolic material. v 5 The-resin hardens' on exposure to h t rapidly becoming less soluble and less f s-. ible. It may therefore be fashioned to an desired slfape by exposing to pressure in a heated mold. -Heat resistant products thus are obtained. The. addition of the various barytes, chalk and the like may be employed.

arently forms more readily in the presence The magnesium phenate resin appears to act somewhat differently with silicate fillers such as asbestos, .talc' and-the like, there probably being some reaction between the magnesium phenate and silicate fillers which does not occur with a basic filler such as chalk or, zinc oxide. In making compositions of this character with mineral fillers it has long been customary to add a small percentage of cotton flock to increase resistance to shock. The latter tends to mat together "forming lumps which are difiicult to distribute through the mass of a molding composition as for example ordinary hot molded shellac products. In the aqueous solution of magnesium polyphenate resin cotton flock will be found to disseminate readily and hence may be incorporated with mineral fillers without the troubles attendant upon mixingit in other ways. 1

Various pigments may be employed such as chrome green, iron oxide, lamp black and the like or a dyestuif such as nigrosine.

The magnesium tetra'phenate resin solution also may be mixed with the customary organic fillers such as wood flour or wood pulp and with substances such as casein,

starch, gelatine and various other modifying agents.

For example a suflicient amount of the foregoing solution is added to wood flour to make equal parts by weight of the magnesium tetraphenate and the filler. This is well mixed and dried for a half hour in vacuo employing a vacuum of 28 inches as indicated by an ordinary vacuum gauge. Drying in vacuo is a desirable step to keep the temperature as low as possible during drying and prevent reaction taking place to an undue" amount. When placed in a mold in a hydraulic press heated to. a temperature of 170 C. a hard strong product is obtained which may be removed from the mold without cooling.

A magnesium diphenate resin is obtained by mixing together phenol and an amount of magnesium hydroxide equal to one-half the normal molecular equivalent of the phenol. Formaldehyde (40% aqueous) in about equal proportions by weight is added. .In

. this case it is probable that a'mixture of magnesium diphenate and tetraphenate are obtained as the tendency of the phenol, based on its behavior with certain other substances, probably is to form a certain amount of tetraphenate in spite of the large excess of magnesium hydroxide present. On heating to 9095 C. for 1 hours, with stirring, under-a reflux condenser, a satisfactory solution is obtained. By pouring a small sample of the liquid on the hot plate a tough resin is obtained. The phenate resin solution obtained according to the foregoing may be diluted with water without separation. The reaction between the phenate and formaldehyde maybe carried out in open onclosed vessels at atmospheric or higher pressures.

Aqueous solutions prepared in this malt ner serve cheaply and conveniently to mix with filling materials in making plastic molding compositions. Other solvents however may be used in some cases.

In a resinous composition employed for. moldmg purposes the magnesium phenate or tetraphenate has advantage over other bases in that any magnesium hydroxide or oxide present, accidentally orby design, is notsoluble in water as would be the case with sodium or potassium hydroxides. The hy-' droxides of calcium and barium also are soluble. Exposed to air magnesium hydroxide slowly forms the carbonate which likewise is insoluble. This also is. true of calcium and barium hydroxides but of course in the case of sodium or potassium hydrox-- ide. the carbonates are soluble and more or less hygroscopic. In other words magnesium phenate although a resin of a metallo-organic type does not contain the metallic element in a form which is deleterious when the resinous material is employed for many purposes.

Despite the foregoin statements I do not wish to be limited sole y to the use ofmagnesium material but may employ along with the basic magnesium compound some other base such as calcium oxide or hydroxide.-

Thus dolomitio quick lime would furnish both magnesium and calcium oxide in a cheaply available" form. Also I may employ other bases in conjunction with magnesium, or calcium and. magnesium including caustic soda and ammonia. However it may be noted that the former is usually objectionable except in traces because of its moisture absorbing properties. Likewise ammonia not being'a fixed alkali is open to the objection that blistering may result in obtained. Also instead of using Iormalde-- hyde as the sole aldehyde additions of acctaldehyde, butyl aldehyde etc. may be made or the formaldehyde replaced entirely in some cases by other aldehydes. Another procedure is as follows: Phenol is heated to the boiling point, a crystal of iodine added and the requisite quantity of procedures given above may be varied 'magnesium powder introduced. Reaction takes place toform the phenate orpolyphenate as the case may be. On cooling a brown solid is obtained. (hen mixed with.

for example paraform and heated an infusible "resin results. Hexamethylenetetramine may be used in place of paraform in case reaction is desired uuder'anhydrous con d-itions.

The solution of formaldehyde employed in accordance with certain of the above illustrative procedures may be stronger or weaker than the usual commercial 37-40 per cent strength. The formaldehyde solution may be added all at once to the other ingredients or it'may be run graduall into the mixing chamber in the presence 0 the other ingredients. If the heat of reaction is excessive cooling may be employed or the formaldehyde may be diluted with water..

What I claim is:

1. .The process which comprises heating magnesium phenate with aqueous formaldehyde to form an aqueous solution of resin.

2. The process of making resinous material-which com rises reacting on magnesium tetraphenate with an aldehyde.

'3. The process of making resinous material which comprises reacting on magnesium tetraphenate with formaldehyde.

4. The resinous reaction product of formaldehyde and a phenate of magnesium.

' 5. The resinous reaction product of an aldehyde and a phenate of magnesium.

6. The resinous reaction produpt of formaldehyde and magnesium tetraphenate.

7. The resinous reaction product of formaldehyde and magnesium polyphenate.

8. A heat-hardened resinous reaction product of formaldehyde and magnesium tetraphena'te- 9.f A heat-hardened resinous reaction "product of formaldehyde andmagnesium polypheliate.

I 10..A. heat-hardened resinous .reaction pr ductof formaldehyde and a phenate of magnesium.

'11 A heat-hardened shaped article comprisin the resinous reaction product of forma dehyde and magnesium. polyphenate.

' l2};=ii- -,heat-resistant molded. -art1cle-i.a.flom-.

prisingfil ling material and a. binder therefor comprising. the reaction products of formaldehyde and magnesium polyphenate.

13. An aqueous solution comprising resinous reaction products of formaldehyde and a phcnate of magnesium.

'14. The resinous reaction product of formaldehyde, phenol, and a magnesium oxide. 15. The resinous reaction product offormaldghyde, phenol and hydrated magnesium 0x1 e. l

16. The resinous reaction product of formaldehyde, phenol, and magnesium oxide, the amount of magnesium oxide being a proximately not greater than one-half -t 1e normal molecular equivalent of the phenol.

. 17. The resinous reaction product of form-' being app'roximatel not greater than one-' half the normal mo ecular equivalent of the phenol.

v21. The process of formaldehyde, phenol, and magnesium 0x ide, the magnesium oxide being approximateproducing resinous; products which comprises reacting together ly equal to one-fourth the normal molecul'ar equivalent of the phenol.

1 22. A heat-hardened nesium oxide, -the magnesium oxide being approximately not greaterthan one-half the normal molecular equivalent of the phenol. 23. A; heat-hardened resinous reaction product of formaldehyde, phenol, and magnesium oxide, the magnesium oxide being approximately equalto one-fourth'the' normal molecular equivalent of the bone].

" QARLETON, LLIS.

. resinous reaction product of formaIdehyde,'phenOI,' and mag- 

